Quality Leadership Team Meeting
September 28, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
via Video Conference Rooms on each CBC Site
Present: Dr. Twila Johnson, Chair
Noemi Aguilar
Dr. Emmanuel Alvarado
Donna Atkins
Dr. Patty Candia
Dean Ruth Cude
Dean Velma Elizalde
Dr. Bruce Exstrom
Claire Fletcher
Lupe Ganceres
Amador Ramirez
The meeting was called to order by Twila Johnson, Chair, at 10:00 a.m. The Minutes of the previous meeting were amended to reflect correct meeting date of August 15, 2012.
Donna Atkins has agreed to be the note taker
New committee members Lupe Ganceres and Noemi Aguilar were announced.
Since the committee spent a lot of time on data review at last meeting this was not addressed at this meeting. Dr. Johnson reported on the SACS reaffirmation visit in which she participated. She stressed the seriousness of this process and the need to move quickly in formulating the plan for QEP. The QEP from the site visit in which she participated was very specific. What CBC is missing is specific measures, targets, assessments, goals, etc. We must be very specific. We must set measureable goals for our QEP Student Success Course. At the site visit an entire day was spent by SACS assessing QEP in meeting with the team and reviewing the program.
Student Success Course Structure Comparisons. Dr. Exstrom reported that the structure would be determined by the college. It could be all the way from a one- to three-hour developmental course credit to a transfer course of one to three hours. He said the colleges with the best results provided a three-hour course. He addressed success courses for each major with a specific prefix or even using workshops. He stated Houston Community College uses College and Career Planning and will share the syllabus for this course. Dr.
Candia asked about including the course on the degree plan so it would be paid for by
financial aid. Dr. Exstrom said he believed if it was a graduation requirement for the college it could be paid for even if not on the degree plan. Ms. Aguilar expressed concern about the limit to the number of developmental courses a person can take so she wants to be sure this is clarified with financial aid if this becomes a developmental course. There are advantages and disadvantages both to developmental vs. transfer courses.
Ms. Aguilar stated she did not want another developmental course that students would lose in the transfer process. Dr. Johnson stated she thought we were making this a mandatory academic course that would transfer. Ms. Ganceres stated that a lot of universities had their own student success courses and students would have to take another course when they transfer. Noemi stated that EDUC1300 is being accepted a lot of places as the student success course as an elective course on the degree plan.
Ms. Fletcher stated that she believed the PSYC route for a student success course would more easily transfer and Dr. Johnson stated that Brazosport College used the PSYC prefix. Dr. Exstrom said the course could be cross listed. Ms. Fletcher asked how big the course would be. She stated that she knew we would tweak the course and in the planning stages we should be considering who would be required to take the class. Dr. Johnson suggested that it be anyone with less than 15 hours based on literature reviews she had read. Dean Elizalde stated that data should drive this and not everyone would need this course based on academic history.
Dr. Johnson stated that she planned a subcommittee to help her put together information on the target audience for the course. Dean Elizalde stated that workforce did not have credits to give up for another course. The course might be different in workforce from academic. We need to see what the data shows who needs the course. Are just targeting developmental needs students?
Ms. Fletcher asked for scenarios before the decision is made so she can look at our data of which students we will serve. She asked for specific information to determine number of teachers, classrooms, students, and resources.
Ms. Agilar reminded the committee that our current EDUC 1300 states students who need two or more developmental courses must take the course but we are not enforcing this. We just need a list of what should be incorporated into the course so we can get a buy-in from everyone.
Who gets the data when we develop it?
Ms. Jones taught the Houston Community College success course and Dr. Johnson asked the committee if we could add her to the course because of the information she can provide. The committee agreed she would be an excellent resource.
The committee agreed it should narrow down possibilities of structure of success course and send that out and get feedback to the Leadership Team first and then send out to everyone after it is a bit refined.
With fall schedules due in February we need a decision of the course and hours by February and Dr. Goldstein’s visit in January will help finalize this information.
Dr. Johnson asked all to keep posting to QEP shell in Blackboard with QEP links for shared information. To save money we can just do reviews and not conduct site visits. If site visits are necessary we can also do that. Brazosport and Houston have been suggested as models to look at for student success courses.
It is important to consult workforce to see if a three-hour course will fit in a degree plan. Dr. Johnson stated some places have multiple degree plans. Individual programs might want to choose to teach part of the course so it can be tailored for individual programs. Individuals who are experts can come in to teach individual parts of a course based on expertise. Dr. Exstrom suggested someone from allied health come work with the committee to address the inclusion of additional hours in a degree plan. Ms. Fletcher reminded everyone that the courses should have common outcomes. Dean Elizalde stated that graduation rates and retention are not final outcomes. We have to look at what the student will get out of the individual class and measure that.
Ms. Aguilar mentioned that we must remember Certificate Level 1 students do not test so we would not have developmental requirements for these students. We have to look at how to handle Level 1 and Level 2 students. An online degree audit would help with this so we could block students from registering students beyond their initial testing criteria.
Dr. Johnson stated she and IT Director Randy Lindeman would meet on the format and then take it to the Leadership Team, then to the Faculty Senate. Including of financial aid in the committee will also be important since adding a course will impact degree plans and financial aid.
The next meeting will be called when the writing of the format has been completed and Dr. Johnson will let us know when.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 a.m.